Improvement in gear-cutting machines



C. VAN HAAGEN.

Gear Cutting Machine.

No. 110,406. y I Patented Dec. 20,- 1870.

N, PETERS. PhomLilhugmphw. wnhingmn. D. C4

i i i paient I didnt,

`cL'AUs VAN IIAAcnN', or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNo'Rfro HIMSELF AND ANTHONY VAN HAAGEN, SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 110,406, dated December 20, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IIN GEAR-CUTTING MACHINES.

'l'he Schedule referred to in these Letters ZPatent making'part of the same.

I, CLAUsVAN HAAGEN, of Philadelphia, count-y of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Gear-cutting Machines, of

vhich the following is a specitication.

Nature and O bject of the Invention.

My invention consists of mechanism, too fully explained hereafter to need preliminary explanation7 to b'e used in counection with gear-cutting machines, for the most part as a substitute for the more expensive dividing-plate and other appliances heretofore used.

` Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, of my improved mechanism for gearecutters;

Figure 2, a sectional elevation of the same, on the line 1 2, fig. l; i

Figures 3 and 4, detached views of part of the mechanism drawn to an enlarged scale; and i Figure 5, a plan view of part of the wheel, with a cuttervoperating on the same.

General Description.

To a plate, A, is secured a box or casing, B, in which are contained a worm-wheel, C, and worm f, the worm-shaft'G turning in bearings c c at one side of the said casing.

This worm-wheel is furnished with a spindle, F, extending upward above the casing and terminatinglat the top liu a threaded projection, a', to which is adapted a nut, b.

rIhe spindle F, where it passes through the worin wheelvO, is slightly tapering, as shown, and is in contact with the plate A, with which, however, the wheel O is vnot quite in contact hence, in screwing dow-n the casing B to the plate the conical portion of the spindle F will be forced tightly into the said wheel.

'lhe bearings c c of the worm-shaft G are so con,

trolled by bolts c c',that, on turning the nuts of the latter, the-teeth of the worm f may be brought into close gear with those ot' the wheel,A to prevent the possibility of the wheel turning to the slightest extent independently of the worm.

A sleeve', H, having at one end an enlargement, g, and at its opposite or outer end a ratchet-wheel, I, is adapted to and arranged to slide longitudinally up on the shaft G, but is prevented from turning independently of the same by a feather adapted to a longitudinal groove cut in the said shaft. lUpon this sleeve there is arranged to turn freely a tube, J, on the entire outer surfacer of which is cut 'a screw-thread, corresponding to the internal thread of a stationary nut, J f, which is secured .to the plate A.

To the outer end of this tubular sorewJ is permanently secured an arm, K, to which is pivoted alever, L, having a pawl-like end, Z, adapted to the teeth of the ratchet-wheel I'.

The said tubular screw is also provided with a nut, M, which, when adjusted to any required position, is prevented from accidentally turning by means of a jam-nut, M.

Vhen the crank or lever L is turned in the direction of the arrow 1,1ig. 4, its pawl-like end will he disengaged from the teeth .of the ratchet-wheel, so that the screw J will be caused to, turn upon the sleeve without imparting any rotary motion to the latter or to the shaft G.

'lhe screw, however, will traverse longitudinally through the xed nut J until its movement is arrested by an abrupt shoulder, r, on the arm K, coming in contact with a corresponding shoulder, lr,on the fixed nut, and the sleeve H will thus have a longtudinal sliding movement, determined bythat of the tubular screw.

lVhen the crank or lever is turn-ed in the opposite" direction, as indicated by the arrow 2 in fig. 4, its

pawl-like end will engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, and will cause the latter, the sleeve H, and the spindle G, .as well as the screw, to turn, so that the worm-wheel G and its mandrel will also be turned, and such movement will be continued until, as in the previous case, it is suddenly stopped by an abrupt shoulder, s, on the nut M striking a corresponding shoulder, s', ont-he fixed nut.'

It will be evident from the above that the number of revolutions of the screw J and spindle G, and con' sequently the extent of the movement of the wormwheel, will depend entirely upon the adjustment of the nut M and the position of its abrupt shoulder in respect to that of the fixed nut.

- In using the mechanism for cutting the teeth of gear-wheels the wheel w, (shown by dotted lines,) in which the teeth are to be cut, is placed upon the spindle F, and is secured thereto by the nut b, as seen in fig. 2. A

Mandrels', F, of different lengths and diameters may be used for different wheels, in accordance with the bore and depth of the hubs.

The plate A is placed upon or supposed to form a part of a gear-cutting machine, which is furnished with the usual rose-cutter, caused to revolve and traverse in a manner too well understood by those familiar with tools of this class to need explanation; or, what I prefer, the cutter may be made of' the exact shape of the space between two teeth, as shown atx, dg. 5, and have two or more cutting-edges, y y, the cutter-,to revolve and at the same time traverse as it cuts away the metal.

The nut M must be so adjusted as to permit the shaft Gr to turn a greater or lesser number of times, according to the number ofteeth which are to be cut upon thewheel.

Let it be supposed, for instance, that the wormwheel C has seventy-two teeth, each single revolution of the shaftG will consequently turn it to the extent of one'tooth.

If a wheel of seventy-two teeth, therefore, has to be cut, it will be necessary toY turn the shaft G- but once for every tooth.

Half this number, or thirty-six teeth, would require two turns o f the shaft, for each tooth` In order to illnstratethe operation of the machine let it be supposed that a wheel of thirty-six teeth has to be cut.

AThe crank L is first turned in the direction of the arrow 1, g. 4,*'jnntil the shoulder r of the arm K is brought into contact with that of the fixed nut;- the stop-nut M is then adjusted to fsuch a position upon the screw that the shaft cannot be turned in a contrary direction more than two complete revolutions.

These several adjustments having been made, the first tooth is cut on the edge of the wheel, after which the spindle G is turned, by'nieans of thecrank, to the extent of two revolutions, which will be accurately determined by the contact of the shoulder s of the stop-nut M, with the shoulder s of the fixed nut.

-A second tooth is then cut on the wheel, and in order to effect the required adjustment of the latter for the cutting of a third tooth the crank is first turned in one direction until the shoulder r is brought in contact with the shoulder r', and then in the reverse direction to the extent permitted by the stopnut.

This operation is continued in the same. manner until the Vfull number of teeth' has been cut., the divisions being made entirely around the wheel with the most perfect accuracy.

In order to cut a wheel of eighteen teeth it would be only necessary to adjust the stop-lint to such a position as to permit four revolutions of the shaft instead of two; and tohcut a pinion of nine teeth the shaft should be permitted to make eight complete revolutions in order to effect each adjustment of the wheel.

rlhe machine, however, is not confined in its operations to the cutting of' wheels haring such number of teeth only as will divide equally' into the number of teeth of the worin-wheel.

Suppose, for instance, that a wheel of twenty-eight teeth has to be cut. This number divided into seventy-two (the number of teeth in the worm-wheel) gives two and sixteentwentyeighths, or two and eight-fourteenths, as the number of revolutions ofthe shaft G for each adjustment of the wheel.

The stopnut M is first adjusted, as before described, so. as to permit two revolutions of the shaft, and the fraction is determined by means of the ratchet-wheel, which, in the present instance, has fourteen teeth.

rlhe stop-nut M being adjusted to permit two revolutions, and the shoulder r and a" in lcontact with each other, thegsaid nut is held with one hand to prevent-it from turning with the screw, while with the other'hand the crankL is turned in such a direction as to withdraw the shoulder r from the shoulder lr', and cause the point of the pawl' to slip over eight of the teeth of the stationary ratchet-wheel, or in other words to pass around eight-fourteenths of the circumference of the latter. v

. If, after this, the nut M be tightened by means of the jam-nut, and the shoulders r and r be again brought in contact, it will be found that the nut M has been adjusted to such a position as to permit two and eightfourteenths revolutions of the shaft for every adjustment ot' the wheel.

Other fractions can in like manner be determined, it being proposed to furnish the machine with a number ot' ratchet -wheels having different numbers of teeth, so that any required divisions can be made.

The object of extending the sleeve H through the screw J is to connect the ratchet I to the screw, so that it will move longitudinally with the latter but revolve independently of the saine; other means of thus connecting the screw and ratchet may, however, beemployed. For instance, the sleeve may be dispensed with, and the ratchet may have vat its inner side fingers extending into an annular groove in the screw, or claspiug a flange on the latter, so that, while the ratchet will always more longitudinally with the screw, it may revolve without turning the saine.

v Other devices may also be substituted for the pawl and ratchet as, for instance, an eccentric-dog arranged upon a lug or arm ou the screw; or such devices may be altogether dispensed with, and the screw turned by grasping a flange on the same with the fingers.

It will be evident, without further description, thatl by the use of' the above simple mechanism wheels any number of teeth can be cut as accurately as in machines furnished with the well-known complex and costly dividing-plate.

Claim.

The combination of the worm G, its shaft f, screw J turning in a nut, J, and sliding on the shaft G, the:v stationary stops r s, fixed stop r, and adjustable stop s on the screw, and the sleeve H, wheel I, arm aunk pawl, or equivalent devices, whereby the screw may be turnedA in one direction with Aand in the other independently of the shaft f, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to. this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

Xiffitnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HARRY SMITH. 

